The new South. [volume], September 06, 1862, Image 2

About The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867

Image provided by: University of South Carolina; Columbia, SC

                
I
THE NEW SOUTH.
. ^fePOKT ROYAL, SATURDAY, SEPT. 6, 1862.
..
m " Departure of General Hunter.
^ The salvos of artillery which last evening !
Ih^e awakepedthe echoes in Port Royal Harbor, as
they burst from the grim sides of the TTafcuA and
the grassy slopes of Fort Welles, were givenifn
honor of Major General Hnnter, who left in A?
McCltllan for Washington. Gen. Hunter g?s
home on leave, but there is little probability fr
his returninrr. The country, at this crisis of
' affairs, has great need of the military talent of her
distinguished sons, and cannot afford to let it
shelve itself, when it may be turned to useful account.
It is likely, therefore, that Gcn.^fiunter
will be'called to an active comftimd as soon as he
reaches Washington. During^ais administration
in this department his course on some questions,
particularly that of forming a negro regiment, made
him many enemies, but even those most bitterly
opposed to his political views, respect him for JuM
sincerity, courage and firmness of purpos^fljPl
takes with him to his new field of duty,
* that may prove to be, the best wishes^Wms
health, and prosperity of all in the Department of
the South. Accompanying him were his estima-1
ble wife *nd the members of his Staff'.
^ a
The Battles in Virginia.
We yield a large portion of our space this morning
to the publication of the news respecting the
^ desperate battles of Thursday, Friday and Saturday
last in Virginia, believing that the accounts
will be read with painful yet absorbing interest.
The gloomiest portion of the news is taken from an
? tr i_ m -i J .V
extra 01 uie new iotk jl rxmse, issucu ? < v wovm
of the awning of Monday last, bat we are trustful
that the picture of the reported reverse is too darkly
shaded. The account was given by a gentleman
who left the battle-field late on Saturday
evening, and it is about twelve hours later than
the official report of Friday's battle, made by
Gen. Pope. The result opto the date of Gen.
r Pope's dispatch was highly encouraging. He
stated that the enemy had been driven from the
field in a badly used-up condition ; and, although
our losses were not less than eight thousaq^jaen,
those of the enemy, from the appearance W the
field, outnumbered ours two to one. He also spoke
of the enthusiasm of our troope. which was increased
by the fact that the battle was fought on
?? the identical field of Bull Run and alluded to great
captures both of men and munitions of war. Subsequent
to the writing of this report the rebels
were largely reinforced, and the tide of battle
turned against us. On Sunday there was no general
engagement, and our men were reported to
be firmly concentrated that evening at Centreville,
in good condition and spirits for another encounter.
While, therefore, we are compelled to endure
? the pain of suspense nntil another mail shall bring
U3 iuc reouik ui uic on nc iia>c iu?avu tv
hope that our armies, strongly reinforced, will re
new the engagement to overthrow at once and forever
the hordes of traitors, who have, without
> doubt, staked all their power, and all their hjpes
for their villainous cause, in a final and desperate
effort to capture the Capital of the Republic.
Dy Brig. Gen. J. M. Brannan, U. S. A., is now
in command of the Department of the South. He
11 _ 1*1 J TV ^ ..a A . Tt?l
will remove nig neaaquarmrs iromneauiori to nuton
Head to-day. #
?Assistant Surgeon William F. Cornick, U. S.
Army, who came up from Key West, on the Dtlaware,
has entirely recovered from an attack of
yellow fever which he had on the passage. As
that epidemic is still prevailing at Key West, and j
there being need of additional medical attendance,
Dr. Cornick has returned to his former post of
duty.
?Brig. Gen. Rufus Saxton left for the North
ywtertlay, by the McCTtllaw, io ill health.
2
m-rrn rrmno mAV mrt? WADTTI
X n ffi XIAITO XAVA AHil mvmau.
Bzigbter Aspect of Affairs.
The pest few day* hare been fruitful of exciterants,
because of the disheartening reports,?
fped uponve^ai information received in the early
part of the weqb&y the transports Star of the South
and McQlellan,?respecting the condition of affairs
with the army in Virginia. We had rumors of the
complete disorganisation of McClellan's command,
of the cutting otF&f Pope from his supplies by a
rapid flank movement on the part of Stonewall
Jackson, and of the advance of a heavy column of
rebehMrithin a few miles of Alexandria, thus pla?|ggr%ashington
in Imminent peril. As these
vague rumors passed frommKnth to mouth, their
gloomy charact&r was magnifl^^, and we were
left in a state foreboding disaster to our cause and
ot most pafpfol shspcnse. Chis unpleasant feeling
has been senably relieved^however, by advices to
the 30th ultim?y*received on Thursday by the gun
Morurick and Massachusetts. Without doubt
p fbundation for the circuIWon of those
Kng reports; but the last news puts a
9H|ppM*CtMl!J*#nairs. general rmriiMue aau
formea a juncti<^%ith Pope, and a battle was
fought in which the enemy had been driven back"
beyond Manassas with heavy loss, and Stonewall
Jackson's plans of taking Washington were utterly
defeated. The Government has expelled ^newspaper
correspondents from the army linesjVthus
depriving the public of its only definite source of
information, and our files are filled with rumors,
obtained tfpm stragglers. These we have carefully
sifted, to present what appears to us a tolerably
correct idea of the events of the few days preceding
the battle and the <' situation " up to date of
last advices:?
On Tuesday, the 26th, a body of rebel cavalry,
estimated at 2090 strong, under Col. Fjnmhgh Lee,
made a successful raid on ManassanHHlon, under
circumstances vrhich^figg* *?uch dWrace
Upon our 6lifers * wno commanded *he poHon.
Three trains^, numerous prisoner^, and qtmnermaster's
stores, to the amount of half a million of
dollars, were Captured. The enemy afterwards destroyed
all the buildings, public and the
station houses and storehouses; and, alflR on
six miles farther,burned the massive radHfloiidge
over Bull huu, thus cutting off commu^Hpau be
tween the Capital and the Army. Tjpmfecss
of this swoop parallels that of Stuartm ^Bfltear
of our armies on the Peninsula* Bull Run^Pfee
is so completely within our lines that it i^iot easy
to understand how the rebels could hare visited
there without being captured. This cavalry dash
was followed at once by an advance of the enemy
in strong force, under Jackson, through Thoroughfare
Cap, which bad been left unprotected, and on
the 27th ihey bad extended their lines to Fall's
Church, destroying every means of communication
between the Capital and Gen. Pope, with the
purpose of marching straight upon Washington.
Iu the N. Y Tribune, of the 30th, we find an
official report from Gen. Pope, dated Manasses
Junction, Aug. 28,?10 P. M.,?the latest advices
direct from the army, which shows what his force
had done towards frustrating the enemy's plans:?
ToMaj. Gen. H. W. Halleck, Commander-in-Chief.
-As sooif as I discovered tha?l large force
of tne enemy was turning our right toward Manasgas,
and that the division I had ordered to take
nnut ihavo tu-A Hutru RufrvwA V* rwl vw*t irof QorirOll
|A/OK mtiv ?.nw ua^D VWVIC uau llVb J Vt anil vu
from Alexandria, I immediately broke up my
camps at Warrentou Junctiou and Warrenton,
rapidly back irulkrtjt columns. 1
directed jBIDuWell, with his own. and Sigel's
com, and Menu's Division to march upon GainesvillOTQjptfie
Warren ton and AleferiBria pike, Keno
and one division of* Heintzelmau to march ou
Greenwich, and with Porter's corps and Hooker's
division, 1 marched back to Manasses Junction.
McDowell was ordered to interpose between the
forces of the enemy which had passed down to
Manasses through Gainesville, and his main body
moving down from White Dlaius through Thoroughfare
Gap. This was completely accomplished?
Longstreet, [rebel] who had passed through the
gap beiug driven back to the west side. The
forces sent to Greenwich were designed to support
McDowell, in case he met too large a force of
the enemy. The division of Hooker, marching
towards Manassas, came upon the enemy near
Kettle Hun, on the afternoon of the 27th,and after
a sharp action routed them completely, killing and
wounding 300, capturing camps and baggage, and
mam* stand of arms.
, _ ^ t . . | / ^ ' 4
\
This morning the command pushed rapidly to
Manassas Junction, which Jackson had evacuated
- * rt _ _.i X-J 1 n A
three hours in advance, rie reire^xeu uy i/emrt>
ville, and took the Turnpike toward Warrenton.
He was met six miles west of Centreville by McDowell
and Sigel, late this afternoon. A severe
fight took place which has terminated by darkness.
The enemy was driven back at all points and thus
the affair rests.
Heintzeiman's corps will move on him at daylight
from Centreville, and I do not see how the
enemy is to escape without heavy loss. We have
captured 1000 prisoners, many arms and one piece
of artillery.
JOHN POPE, Major-General.
The agent of the New York Associated Press,
at Washington, furnished the following as the condition
of affairs with the army up to noon of Friday,
the 29th :
"We have trustworthy advices, through letters
received to-night, that affairs at Washington and
Alexandria to-day wore a more favorable aspect.
The Secessionists at Alexandria are less jubilant ^
and carry despondent countenances. *
Generals Burn side and Pope have successfully #
cut their way through the rebel forces to Manassas,
and hare formed a junction with the army ol Virginia,
under Gen. McClellan, this side of Centreville.
There has been a severe engagement with jlife .
rebels bv the divisions underthe command ottlttis.
Hooker, St urges and Sumner, in which the rebels
were completely routed and driven back from the
vicinity of Manassas and Bull Run through the
passes of the Bull Run Mountains.
Tim loss of lif e on both sides is said to have ?
beeriF*heavy. No accurate information can be
obtained on this point, but it is believed that the
enemy were severely punished, and many prisoners
taken.
It is also stated that the Potomac River is now
fordable at any point above Washington, and
much excitement prevails throughout Western
Maryland, arising from the fear that a portion of
the rebel army may make a desperate raid in that
direction. "
%
POSTSCRIPT ! ^
?DESPERATE BATTLES IN VIRGINIA !
_
Our first Successes followed by
a Reverse.?Retreat of the
Army to Centreville.?
Gen. McClellan Censured,
&c., &c.
The steam transport St. Mary, Capt. Talbot,
arrived yesterday afternoon, bringing New York
papers to Sept. 1?giving three days later news of
the battles In Virginia. We copy from the New
York Tribune extra, the following synopsis. The
battle commenced at o o'clock on Thursday afternoon,
near Stone Bridge, on the old Manassas
battle field, between Jackson's rear guard and a
part of Sigel's corps under Gen Scbenck. It
lasted until o'clock. Early Friday morning
Jackson effected a junction with Longstreet and
other portions of the rebel army who probably
reached the battle field by way of Thoroughfare .
Gap or from the North by way of Aldie Gap. The
battle was opened by our assault?Sherman's battery
commencing. Sigel's line of battie was
formed with Sehurz on the right, Schenck on the
left and Steinwehr m the centre and as a reserve. .*
Gen. Milroy, with his independent Brigade, led *
the advance. * *
The enemy were pushed gradually but steadily
back until 1 in tbeafternoon. Then they suddenly
and fiercely advanced in a bayonet charge against
Milroy, wly was compelled to fall back, as well as
fian Sohpnok's brigade which was sent to his
support. Milroy 8 command was so badly cut up
that he could not gather a regiment. Meanwhile
Gen. Schurx was fighting in the woods with gieat
determination) holding his ground though losing
heayily, and handling his troops skillfully. Gen.
Steinwehr supported him.
On Schenck's left heavy massef of rebel troops
appeared) and be was reinforced by the divisions of
Stevens aud Keynolds; but all were driven back.
The result of the fighting on Friday was that at
first the enemy was driven lack two miles, but
havinir heen heavily reinforced recovered a mile of
the ground he had lost. Our troops rested at
night a mile in advance of the position where the
Jjuttle had begun.
On Saturday the battle was inore
Heintcelman, Porter, McDowell,' Sigel and Bank*
were engaged, though Sigel having had the hottest
; work the day before was kept back as a reserve.
The morning, until 10 o'clock, was spent in massing
troops, deploying and maneuvring.
Heinteelman attacked*t 10. Porter moved down